‘No excuse for abuse’ over the festive period
WARNINGS ON BILLBOARDS ACROSS WEST MIDLANDS HIGHLIGHT POLICE CAMPAIGN
POLICE will take a zero tolerance approach to sexual assault and harassment during the Christmas party season.
A new campaign called No Excuse for Abuse has been launched in the West Midlands as the festive period takes off.
Party-goers have been urged to consider their behaviour in public spaces, bars, clubs, and on public transport. Revellers are being asked to stand up for women in these places if they witness inappropriate or aggressive behaviour and to intervene by notifying a bartender or police officer.
Warnings will be beamed to digital billboards across the
West Midlands highlighting the campaign has a website where victims can seek advice and vital services.
The West Midlands Victims’ Commissioner Cllr Nicky Brennan said: “December is one of my favourite times of the year, not least because of the many celebrations and parties.
“It should be, and can be, a time of great joy. But it’s also a time when we see a rise in sexual assaults and harassment in bars and clubs. There is never an excuse for abuse of any kind.
“We need to rid ourselves of any notion that it is just a part of ‘going out’ at Christmas. What some people might think of as harmless fun or banter is actually a serious criminal offence that has an horrific impact on its victim, and it takes all of us to eradicate it for good.”
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster added: “We all enjoy meeting up with family, friends and colleagues in the run up to Christmas, but sadly this leads to a rise in sexual assaults and harassment, when people are out and about, with the intention of enjoying themselves.
“There is no excuse for abuse. It is everyone’s responsibility to play their part in ensuring the Christmas party season is a time for celebration, happiness and joy and not a time for abuse, intimidation and violence.”
Cllr Brennan has also pledged to support the Stamp Out Spiking petition. Spiking – in various forms – remains prevalent throughout the UK, with several alleged incidents reported, but is not currently a named criminal offence.
It is recorded by police as other specific offence codes, such as The Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 or The Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The petition urged the Home Secretary to rectify this and explore making spiking an offence, in its own right.
What some might think is harmless fun or banter is a serious criminal offence that has an horrific impact on victims
Nicky Brennan